Together with the new Emperor, Schwarzenberg called in the Imperial Russian Army to help suppress the Hungarian revolt, and thus give Austria free rein to attempt to thwart Prussia's drive to dominate Germany. He undid democratic reforms and re-established monarchist control in Austria, with the 1849 March Constitution that transformed the Habsburg Empire into a unitary, centralized state. In matters of German dualism, he was able to impose the Punctation of Olmütz on Prussia, forcing it to abandon, for the moment, its plan of unifying Germany under its own auspices, and to acquiesce in the reformation of the old German Confederation. [1] At the same time his government initiated substantial administrative, juridical and educational reforms.

Schwarzenberg died in office at Vienna, suffering a stroke in the early evening of 5 April 1852.

Schwarzenberg was widely respected in Europe as an able statesman, although not much trusted, even by his emperor. His own statement following the Russian intervention in Hungary that Austria would "shock the world by the depth of its ingratitude" later realised in the Crimean War, which may have played a part in this. Varying between the ideas of constitutionalism and the revival of an absolute monarchy, he neither gained the support of liberal nor of conservative circles. However, the early death of the "Austrian Bismarck" has generally been seen by historians as a grave setback to Austria, as none of his successors possessed his stature or skill.